European sustainable development rural actor database


Ireland

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Coordinate
Language:
English, Gaelic

Currency:
Euro
Area:
70.00

Population:
4.10

Density:
59.50

GIP:
161

GIP per cap.:
38,844.00

Political regime:
Republic

Head of State:
Mrs Mary Mc Aleese
Head of governement:
M. Berthie Ahern (Republican Party – Fianna Fail)
Eutropean Union Membership:
1973
National anthem:
Amhrán na bhFiann (The soldier’s song)
Generals Informations


Administrative organization
Rural life
Sustainability


Administrative organization

Form of State: unitary State.
The State has full legislative powers. Moreover, it exercises the bulk of administrative powers due to the very low degree of autonomy enjoyed by the devolved authorities and the strict supervision of the lower tiers of government.
Interesting ministries:

  • Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources. Minister: M. Eamon Ryan.
  • Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. Minister: Mrs Mary Coughlan. Mission statement (website homepage): "Our mission is to lead the sustainable development of a competitive, consumer focussed agri-food sector and to contribute to a vibrant rural economy and society." In charge of agroenvironment and rural development (especially related to the CAP).
  • Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. Minister: M. John Gormley. In charge of environment protection, heritage conservation (natural and architectural), sustainable development, planning, development, and housing.
  • Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. Minister: M. Eamonn O’ Cuiv. In charge of local and rural development (program RAPID: Revitalising Areas by Planning, Investment and Development), and of European programs Leader and Interreg.

Administrative units

Name

Number

Competences

NUTS 1

NUTS 2

Regions

(Southern and Eastern Regional Assembly, and Border, Midlands and Western Regional Assembly)

2

Coordination of public services at regional level and providing guidelines for spatial planning

Guaranteeing the top-down communication of programmes and plans of the central government

Responsible for managing regional programmes and reviewing the implementation of other Community programmes at regional level, in particular the Structural Funds.

NUTS 3

Regional authority régions

8

Coordination of public services

Supervision and Monitoring of the European Union Structural and Cohesion Fund implementation

LAU 1

Counties/county boroughs

34

Urban planning

Road infrastructures

Water supply and treatment

Waste Management and Environment

Housing

Fire services and civil defence

Libraries

Local arts, culture and leisure facilities

Coordination of public services across different agencies operating locally

LAU 2

DEDs/Wards

3440

Total public expenditure: € 55 billion = 34.1% GDP.
Sub-national public expenditure: € 10.9 billion = 6.7% GDP = 19.8% total public expenditure.

Rural life

Utilized agricultural area: 59.2% total area, i.e. 41,440 km2.
Rural population: 39.5% total population.
Labour force in agriculture: 167,000 Annual Work Units (AWU).
Unemployment rate by degree of urbanisation:

  • Densely populated areas: 4.8%
  • Intermediate areas: unavailable data.
  • Thinly populated areas: 4.2%

Employment rate by degree of urbanisation:

  • Densely populated areas: 67.9%
  • Intermediate areas: unavailable data.
  • Thinly populated areas: 67.5%

Youth unemployment ratio by degree of urbanisation:

  • Densely populated areas: 4.9%
  • Intermediate areas: unavailable data.
  • Thinly populated areas: 4.4%
  • Total: 4.6%

Share of organic area in total utilised agricultural area: 0.8%.

Sustainability

Ireland’s National Sustainable Development Strategy (NSDS), “Sustainable Development: A Strategy for Ireland”, was adopted by the Government and published in April 1997. An update of its review and assessment was then published in July 2002. The framework is partly based on an analysis of the environmental strengths and weaknesses of Ireland.
The strategy focuses on 8 action programmes:

  • agriculture
  • forestry
  • marine resources
  • energy
  • industry
  • transport
  • tourism
  • trade.

In total, over 150 key strategic actions were identified, relating to the different sectoral action programmes mentioned above. While the original strategy was sectoral in its approach, the 2002 review focuses primarily on a review of the environment-economy link that Ireland has reached up to date, and includes social issues.
Environmental protection expenditure in the public sector: 0.5 % of GDP, i.e. 111 € per capita.
Government expenditure on environment protection, in % of GDP: unavailable data.
Government expenditure on environment protection, in % of total government expenditure: unavailable data.
Area protected under the Habitats Directive as a percentage of total area: 10.2%.